Jewish Veg

“MW from Randwick NSW writes: “Hello Kurma, I am doing my last year at school and have recently decided to be a vegetarian. My Dad disapproves and says it is not possible to be a good Jew and a vegetarian at the same time. Can you help me out?

My reply: “I know many Jewish Vegetarians, including a Vegetarian Rabbi right here in Sydney. Many Jewish religious leaders advocate vegetarianism, including the late Chief Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Goren, and the first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel, Abraham Kook.

The former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, David Rosen, considered “the consumption of meat as halachically unacceptable”

The Torah is full of commandments demanding humane treatment of animals, yet the modern factory farms that produce over 90% of the animal products we consume today raise their animals in unconscionable conditions of abject misery.”